After the little mishap last month with my youngest child's sudden fever on the trail, I decided to bring a sled with a rope tow. I thought it would ensure, now that we were prepared, that no family member would become sick on this hike. It worked.
The trail in Standish began with a jeep road, so we started out with the kids and sled in tow. The rail portion of the trail is about three-quarters of a 3/4 mile from the trail head. In winter the jeep road is generally closed with a gate, but in the warmer months hikers and bikers should stay to one side of the road to avoid the occasional vehicle. Once we reached the rails the kids were fascinated to be up close to them. They found it quite exciting to be allowed to walk near the tracks.
The sled turned out to be a great idea. There were a few areas with embankments and the kids had a great time sliding down them. Although there was barely enough snow to cover the trail, there was a thick layer of ice that made for some fast coasting and the kids found it quite thrilling.
We saw several sets of animal tracks in the snow. The kids always enjoy guessing what kind of animals were on the trail before them. And my 7-year-old, a serious animal-lover, found a weathered sign posted about a lost dog on the trail. She took it upon herself to call out for the dog and "look" for him. She wasn't lucky enough to the find the dog but she couldn't stop talking about it on the way home and about how she would look for him on our next hike.
Something I really liked about this trail were the mile markers every quarter-mile. Some of the trails we've hiked offer maps with approximate mileage, but it was nice not to have to pull off my mittens to look at a map on this trail. I have a good idea about how far I think my kids can hike on a particular type of terrain (steep or level, rocky or compact) and I always appreciate a trail that offers a distance gauge. Plus, my kids are getting older and they like to know how many miles they've hiked. Of course, I think it's more for bragging rights than anything else.
And because this is not a looping trail — it is a straight line from Standish through Gorham and into Windham — the mileage markers were even more important to me. Turning around at an appropriate distance on the trail was key for us because we were going to have to hike the same mileage back to the trail head.
It turned out we hiked 3 miles round-trip — and that was the most trail we've covered in a day with our 6-year-old. Of course, we did have the sled to fall back on if she was having trouble keeping up — again, it was nice to have a little "insurance."
My family decided to choose to this hike because we hadn't been on this trail even though it's was so close to home. I'd heard from friends that the Mountain Division Alliance is planning to extend the trail and as it turns out, this portion of the trail is only the beginning.
"As far as the alliance is concerned, this is just the first 4-mile stretch," said Dave Kinsman from the Mountain Division Alliance. The alliance's goal is to create a trail that will stretch from Fryeburg to Portland. Plans for the next portion of the trail are still being discussed, but several communities along the rail line have expressed an interest in the project. The current funding levels, the project source could take 10 to 12 years for the trail to be completed. But Kinsman says the alliance is hoping to secure some other avenues of funding and if successful, the group could complete the project in less time.
But work is slated to move ahead this spring on parts of the project's funding are already secure and moving ahead this spring. The Gambo bridge, which is owned jointly by Windham and Gorham, will be rebuilt. And another link will be added to the trail from Gambo Road to Route 202 in Windham. This work is projected to be completed by summer and would offer a small loop in the trail.
According to Linda Brooks, the Standish recreation director, said the town of Standish also has additional more plans for the trail. The town has secured funding to build a sidewalk on the same side of the street as the trail head to lead hikers directly into Sebago Lake Village. The project does not have a start date yet, but the hope is that the sidewalk will be completed in the next few years, making it safer for hikers to enter the village. And it will eventually continue to the next portion of the Mountain Division Trail, which is still to be developed.
So if you're in the area and haven't been on this trail, try it out. And drag along your sled, or ice skates (there's an outdoor rink at the Standish trail head), for a nice, easy winter hike. And you don't have to take my word for it; my kids make audio reviews of each of our hikes and you can listen to their thoughts for yourself.
Trail Name: Mountain Division Trail
Nearest Town: Standish and Windham trail heads
Region: Greater Portland
Length: 3.7 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Directions: The Standish trail head is on Route 35 between routes 237 and 114 at Johnson Field. The Windham trail head is on Gambo Road. At the intersection Route 202 to River Road. Go 0.5 miles and turn left onto Gambo Road. Go 0.4 miles and turn right onto the access road; drive 0.1 miles to the parking lot.
Terrain: The trail is wooded with a compacted surface and relatively flat. There are also several benches a various points on the trail.
Bathrooms: There's a porta-potty at the Standish trailhead.
Parking: Spaces for 15-20 cars at both trail heads
KIDS' REVIEW:
Listen to the 7-year old describe her
experience on this trail...(65 seconds, 644 mp3 format)
Listen to the 6-year old describe her
experience on this trail...(15 seconds, 152 mp3 format)
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram February 15, 2004
